Artificial implant materials (AIMs) in contact with biological tissues induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which then trigger an aseptic immune response (termed the foreign body reaction, FBR) that causes chemical and mechanical degradation of AIMs. Judicious selection of AIM type does not prevent this outcome, as even robust materials such as stainless steel and fluoropolymer plastics are attacked by corrosion and mechanical stress/strain forces. Immunosuppressive drugs protect AIMs against degradation by preventing the onset of FBR, but also impede essential healing processes and increase the risk of infection. Incorporating traditional organic antioxidants into AIMs enables them to halt or reduce ROS buildup and thus prevent FBR onset, but the prolonged nature of oxidative stress and the irreversible reactivity of traditional antioxidants with ROS eventually depletes the protective capacity.